Lid lock for front end loader container

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a spring loaded member or arm for locking closed and overlapping, dual top lids of a container adapted to be picked up and inverted for unloading by a conventional front end loader type truck. The lock member is automatically moved to lidreleasing position when the pick-up arms of the truck start their initial container-lifting motion.

United States Patent Gagel 1 1 Aug. 29, 1972 [54] LID LOCK FOR FRONT ENDLOADER CONTAINER [72] Inventor: Charles T. Gagel, Louisville, Ky.

[73] Assignee: Industrial Services of America, Inc.,

Louisville, Ky.

22 Filed: April 26,1971 21 App1.No.:137,507

52 U.S.C1 ..2l4/304,214/621 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65f 3/02 [58] Field ofSearch ..214/302, 304, 307, 620, 621

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Walden et a1 ..214/3043,011,666 12/1961 Dempster et a1. ..214/304 Primary ExaminerGerald M.Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Oresky AttorneyWoodard, Weikart,Emhardt & Naughton [57] ABSTRACT Disclosed is a spring loaded member orarm for locking closed and overlapping, dual top lids of a containeradapted to be picked up and inverted for unloading by a conventionalfront end loader type truck. The lock member is automatically moved tolid-releasing position when the pick-up arms of the truck start theirinitial container-lifting motion.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmszs I972 SHEET 1 OF 2 Fig. 1

INVENTOR CHARLES GAQEL BY ATTORNEYS PATENTEDAHG I912 3.687317 SHEEI 2 BF2 29 ihl /23 Fig.3.

INVENTOR CHARLES GI AC-IEL ATTORNEYS LID LOCK FOR FRONT END LOADERCONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Front end loader trucks forhauling refuse material are now in wide use and, generally, performtheir function by utilizing two forwardly extending lift arms, operatedfrom the trucks hydraulic system, to lift and tilt a container over thereceptacle formed in the truck body. An example of such front-endloading vehicles is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,900,096. Conventionallythe containers used with such vehicles have hinged doors or lids attheir top and difficulty is often encountered in assuring that the lockor latch-type retaining mechanism on the lid permits the lids to openwhen the container is tilted or inverted. Further, after the unloadingoperation has been completed, to again latch the container lids inclosed position, the operator of the truck must leave the truck cab andmanually latch or lock the container lids closed.

The concept of the present invention provides a latching or lockingstructure for the hinged lids of front end loader containers which isactuated as the container lifting operation begins. This unlocks thelids so that they may open as the container is moved to tilted,unloading position. Return of the container to normal position causesthe lids, as they drop closed, to engage the locking arm portion of thestructure to return it to locking position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of acontainer incorporating the lock structure of the present invention andthe front end loading vehicle used with the container.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the lock structure shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, end view of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, acontainer, indicated generally at 10, is provided with dual, top lids 11and 12 which are hinged to the container adjacent their outer margins.Opposite sidewalls of the container carry pick-up pockets 13 which arewelded or otherwise rigidly secured to the containers sidewalls andwhich accommodate the lift arms 14 of a conventional front end loadervehicle indicated generally at 16, the vehicle being capable of movingthe container to a tilted or inverted position shown in broken lines inFIG. 1 by means of its lift arm structure 16a and the lift arm movinghydraulic cylinder 16b. It will be understood that the lift arms 14 andthe vehicles 16 are of conventional construction and themselves form nopart of the present invention.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the lock structure for thecontainer lids may be seen to include a generally L-shaped lock arm 21pivotally mounted intermediate its ends at 22 on the container sidewall23. It will be understood that an identical lock arm 21 is disposed onthe opposite sidewall of the container and since the lock arms andaccompanying structure are duplicated at each sidewall of the containeronly one of the arm structures is described and shown in detail.

As will be evident from FIG. 2, the lid 11, nearest the end 13a of thepocket through which the vehicle lift arm enters the pocket, overlapssomewhat the free end, indicated at 12a in FIG. 2, of the hinged lid 12.The overlapping, inclined end portion 11a of the lid 11 is reinforced bymeans of a transverse bar and is topped by a transverse angle iron 26.The inclined face of the bar 24 rests against the adjacent inclinedmargin of the free end 12a of the lid 12 when the lids are closed. Thehorizontally extending flange of the angle iron 26 provides a locksurface which is engaged by the extending portion 21a of the free end ofthe arm 21. The locking portion 210 of the arm rests upon the uppersurface of the horizontal flange of the angle iron 26 when the lids arelocked closed. The upper portion 21b of the extending arm is inclinedfor a purpose to be subsequently explained. The lower free end 21c ofthe arm 21 is pivotally attached at 27 to a link member 28. The linkmember 28 is mounted on the container sidewall for rectilinear motion bymeans of the tube guide 29 which is rigidly attached to the uppersurface of the pocket 13. A resilient means, taking the form of tensionspring 31 extends between a tab 32 carried by the tube 29 and the tab 33extending from the adjacent portion of the arm 21. The guide tubeoverlies an aperture in the upper surface of the pocket 13 and the linkmember 28 extends into the interior of the pocket adjacent its uppersurface as will be evident from FIG. 2.

lnteriorly of the pocket 13, the lower end of the member 28 engages theupper face of a trip lever 36 which extends through the pocket 13 and ishinged at 37 to the body of the pocket. At its free end the lever 36carries a member 38 which extends freely through an aperture in theupper surface of the pocket 13 and carries a head 38a which serves as astop limiting the downward pivotal movement of the lever 36 within thepocket. In operation, the container will normally have its lids 11 and12 locked closed with the components of the locking structure and thelids being in their positions shown in FIG. 2. When the pick-up vehicleapproaches, the operator need only adjust the pick-up arms 14 of thevehicle to the proper height so that they will enter at 13a into thepick-up pockets 13. The operator need not dismount from the cab of thevehicle to unlock the lids of the container prior to hoisting it to itsbroken line position of FIG. 1 because of the presence of the lockingstructure of the present invention. After the lift arms 14 enter thepockets l3, and as the arms move upwardly, the trip lever 36 will bepivotally moved upwardly and this movement of the lever 36 willvertically move upwardly the member 28. This pivots the arm 21 clockwiseabout the pivot 22, thereby moving the portion 21a of the arm out oflocking, overlying engagement with the free end of the lid 11. The lids11 and 12 are thus freed to swing outwardly to open position under theforce of gravity as the container is lifted to its broken line positionof FIG. 1. This unlocking motion of the arm 21 takes place against theforce exerted by the tension spring 31. As the container is returnedfrom its broken line position to its solid line position of FIG. 1, thelid 12 will drop closed first and the overlapping lid 11 subsequently.The spring 31 moves the locking arm 21 again into lock position. If thelid 11 is delayed in returning to its closed position until after thearm 21 has reached locking position, the inclined surface 21b on the endportion of the locking arm will be engaged by the inclined margin of thelid 11 (defined by the plate 24) and will be cammed momentarily out oflid-overlying position thereby permitting the lid to complete itsmovement into closed position. After emptying, the container is thusleft closed and locked as the operator of the vehicle removes thepick-up arms 14 from the container pockets. The operator of the vehicleneed not leave the cab to lock the container lids closed after thecontainer has been unloaded and again deposited in its proper location.

I claim:

1. A front end loader container having pick-up pockets on two of itsopposite sidewalls adapted to be entered by the lift arms of aconventional front end loader vehicle, said container having a pair oflids hinged at opposite ends of the container and with the free end ofone lid overlapping somewhat the free end of the other lid, a lock armpivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a sidewall of said container,one end of said arm being formed to overlie and lock closed theoverlapping free end of said one lid, resilient means for urging saidlock arm into lid-overlying position, a link member mounted on saidcontainer for rectilinear movement and pivotally attached to said arm onthe opposite side of the arm pivot from said lid-overlying arm end, atrip lever pivotally mounted to extend through the adjacent one of saidpick-up pockets near the upper margin of the pocket and adapted to beengaged by vehicle lift arms as they raise the container, said triplever engaging said link member whereby as the container is lifted saidlock arm is moved out of its lid-overlying position through themotion-transmitting linkage provided by said trip lever and link member.

2. A front end loader container as claimed in claim 1 in which said endof the lock arm overlying said lid is provided with an inclined surfaceadapted to be engaged by said free end of said overlapping lid as thelid drops to closed position thereby momentarily camming said arm out oflid-overlying position to permit said lid to complete its movement toclosed position.

3. A front end loader container as claimed in claim 2 in which said oneoverlapping lid is nearest the front end loader vehicle.

1. A front end loader container having pick-up pockets on two of itsopposite sidewalls adapted to be entered by the lift arms of aconventional front end loader vehicle, said container having a pair oflids hinged at opposite ends of the container and with the free end ofone lid overlapping somewhat the free end of the other lid, a lock armpivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a sidewall of said container,one end of said arm being formed to overlie and lock closed theoverlapping free end of said one lid, resilient means for urging saidlock arm into lid-overlying position, a link member mounted on saidcontainer for rectilinear movement and pivotally attached to said arm onthe opposite side of the arm pivot from said lid-overlying arm end, atrip lever pivotally mounted to extend through the adjacent one of saidpick-up pockets near the upper margin of the pocket and adapted to beengaged by vehicle lift arms as they raise the container, said triplever engaging said link member whereby as the container is lifted saidlock arm is moved out of its lidoverlying position through themotion-transmitting linkage provided by said trip lever and link member.2. A front end loader container as claimed in claim 1 in which said endof the lock arm overlying said lid is provided with an inclined surfaceadapted to be engaged by said free end of said overlapping lid as thelid drops to closed position thereby momentarily camming said arm out oflid-overlying position to permit said lid to complete its movement toclosed position.
 3. A front end loader container as claimed in claim 2in which said one overlapping lid is nearest the front end loadervehicle.